Dancinginherdreams No Longer Oaks-Bound

Dancinginherdreams, who had been working toward the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), will skip the Run for the Lilies due to her poor performance in the April 9 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland.

“(Dancinginherdreams’) performance in the Ashland was not satisfactory,” said owner John Oxley of the filly, who finished last of nine horses, beaten 9 1/4 lengths in the major Oaks prep race. “Although she doesn’t have any serious problems, according to her veterinarian and her trainer, she needs a little time off, so she’s going to have a 60-day vacation.”

Dancinginherdreams, a daughter of Tapit, had put herself in Oaks contention with consecutive runner-up efforts in the Forward Gal and Davona Dale (both gr. II) at Gulfstream Park earlier this year. But following the Ashland, trainer John Ward explained why it’s best for the filly to be temporarily sidelined.

“She had some changes starting to happen in one knee without any injury, and we decided it was best not to continue the pressure on her,” he said. “We wanted to be very conservative and didn’t want to chip the china.”

Ward noted that Dancinginherdreams would be in light training for 60 days, after which she would be sent to Saratoga to resume heavy training if all is well.

Bred in Kentucky by Nancy Shuford, Dancinginherdreams is out of the Menifee mare Mayan Milagra. She holds a record of 2-2-0 from five starts, for earnings of $216,529.